The City at Verdania's heart
= Etheria Rules and Setting = ETHERIA An Indi FRPG ' ' ' '''The Rules NB SECOND EDITION RULES CURRENTLY BEING TESTED - these are out of date ' '''Character Generation and Play Professions and Backgrounds There are no strict character classes. All skills are open to be learned, provided it can be agreed between the player and GM and there is scope for the character to learn it. Most people, however, will have a career or job, or at least some way in which they label themselves. Examples include: Soldier, Thief, Wizard, Priest/Priestess, Farmer Cavalryman, Assassin, Alchemist, Teacher, Sailor Siege Engineer, Scout, Witch, Monk, Craftsman Guard, Policeman, Necromancer, Mystic, Merchant Air Cavalryman, Pirate, Sorceress, Healer, Politician Attributes Many RPGs focus quite heavily on numbers and various physical and mental attributes. To keep it simple, we just expect you to make up a description of your alter ego that covers most of the detail. In addition, most GMs will generally assume that a knight will be strong and fit, and an Alchemist will be intelligent, so don’t make it overcomplicated. EXAMPLE: '''The character Roland the Short is very stocky, short (well duh) and powerful looking young man, with a ruddy complexion, who walks with a noticeable spring in his step. This should be enough to let the GM know that Roland is very strong and fairly agile. It may be reasonable to add that Roland is a straightforward and determined young man, but not he sharpest tool in the box, thus adding the facts that he is strong willed, but a bit thick. Genuine depth will be added by the way that you play or develop the character, not the quantity and value of a list of numbers written on a sheet of paper. You can always add more detail as you go along. Talk to your GM, they are here to help. The main emphasis, however, should be on creating an interesting and rounded individual, rather than a fight-winner. '''Skills Characters generally gain 5 skills per level, and may be awarded a number of background skills, at the GMs discretion, to reflect their upbringing and origin. Additionally the character may gain a number of bonus skills awarded by the GM during gameplay. Skill Lists by Profession These are just suggested skills and the list is not intended to be exhaustive. Please invent your own or lift them from other games. Soldier/Warrior type Weapon skill by type, e.g. broadsword (allows use of similar weapons at reduced efficiency, e.g. short-sword) Small Unit Tactics, Strategy, Drill Military Organisation, Signalling, Scouting Survival, First Aid, Horseback Archery Horseback Combat, Armourer, Siege Engineering Leadership, Aerial Combat, Disarm Off-hand weapon proficiency, Logistics Shield (includes offensive use), Map Making Unarmed Combat (state style, e.g. boxing or wrestling) Weapon Feats (fancy show-off manoeuvres) Wizard and Occultists Astrology ,Medicine, Divination ,Pyromancy, Hyrdromancy, Geomancy, Heliomancy, Necromancy, Spell Enhancement ,Transformations, Telekinesis,Aeromancy, Alchemy, Sleight of hand, Oratory, Calligraphy, Linguistics, Academic Skills (various – history, law, botany, beast-lore, occult lore, anything you can think of really) The Priesthood Divination, Laying on Hands ,Prayers Blessings, Ceremonies, Medical Skills ,Academic Skills, Exorcism, Channelling, Counselling Herbalism, Administration, Showmanship, Leadership Thieves and Blackguards Stalking, Hiding, Surveillance, Pick-pocket, Lock-picking, Acrobatics Climbing, Scouting, Sprinting, Slight-of-hand, Bribery, Law Ambush, Camouflage and concealment, Streetwise, Fast-talking, Free running General Skills Horse riding, Cooking, Wagoner, Musician, Outdoorsman, Hunting Sailing, Farming, Carpentry, Construction, Dog Handler, Teaching Politics, Swimming, Camping, Investigative Policing, Tracking Blacksmith/Armourer, Admin, Acting Background skills Each person will have a number of background skill points relating to their origins in life. This will have to be agreed with the GM, but will typically be 3-4 points spent across a similar number of abilities e.g. Roland the Short was a farmer’s son and has background skills of outdoorsman-1, horseriding-1, animal husbandry-1 and fishing-1. Use of Skills To perform an action, simply state what you intend to do and throw 2D6 when invited to by the GM and add any applicable bonuses. The GM will subtract points for difficulty and if you get 7+ you have succeeded. Scores of 12 or snake-eyes are special and will be dealt with by the GM, as are modified rolls that exceed 12 or are below 2. During game-play the player describes the character’s intended action and the GM decides how difficult it is from easy, through fairly easy, to average then fairly difficult, followed by extremely difficult (a 1-5 scale). The player then tries to roll a 7+, modified by the difference between the character’s skill level the difficulty of the action. The result determines the relative success from ‘near misses’ (1 below) to ‘disaster’ (snake-eyes or 5 below) up to ‘better than expected’ (say - 2 above) and ‘storming success’ (5 above). There is an option of ‘impossible’, in which the player still has all the fun of rolling the dice, but fails automatically, or the GM can apply greater penalties (-6 or more). To summarise: 1. GM sets the scene 2. Player describes the response and selects a skill 3. GM determines difficulty and other modifiers 4. Player rolls 2D6 and adds applicable bonuses 5. GM determines and applies the result In many instances to increase the fluidity of play the above criteria will be waived and the player will be allowed to succeed or fail or partially succeed at the GMs discretion. EXAMPLE: Roland wants to vault over the bar during a bar-fight. He has an athletics skill of 2 and is agile, gaining a plus one bonus. The GM rules this to be a fairly easy manoeuvre, but subtracts one for the beer covered surfaces. Roland rolls an unmodified 8, giving 10 in total. This is a moderately good level of success and the GM rules that Roland not only made the jump, but managed to spin around to be ready for action on landing. Combat Skills Combat works in much the same way as any other skill and is simply managed by the GM describing the scenario and asking the characters how they respond. Skill rolls are made, if required, and the GM will determine the results. Suffice it say that it is a lot more interesting than just being given an opportunity to roll a dice and see if you ‘hit something’; you can be as ambitious and detailed in your attacks as you like. The initiative will generally go to whoever seizes it. A D6 may be used if the GM decides that a random roll is necessary. As with ‘skills’, above, you state what you want to do and roll 2D6. A difficulty modifier is allotted and if the target score is reached the attack is successful. In many cases an opponent may counter this success by dodging, parrying or turning into fog. Should the player miss, then the degree to which the player is off target is established by rolling 2D6, one for how far off the attack is, the other for direction. Should the players attack be blocked or countered, the combat moves on to the next stage. To sum up the combat system: 1. Determine initiative 2. State action 3. Attacker rolls 2D6 4. Defender has the option of countering if aware of the attack – rolls 2D6 if applicable 5. GM determines results 6. If the attacker hits, the damage inflicted is proportional to how much the player exceeded the required roll. 1= minor, 5= fatal or serious or at least the intended result. 7. If the player misses roll 2D6 for what direction the attack went. This may have consequences (good or bad) as determined by the GM 8. Next round of action begins. Please note that defenders do not automatically parry or block, and may have their ‘blood up’ and attack at the same time, which could have disastrous consequences for both parties. EXAMPLE: Constable Jackson is strolling back late one night from a ‘meeting’ at the Cock and Key tavern and decides to take the back streets through Eastside. He stumbles upon a couple of thugs who are attempting to mug another late night reveller and he calls out ‘Stand fast in the name of the Law!’ They look round and see a lone constable with no obvious weaponry and decide to give him a beating and then scarper. One raises his cudgel and advances as the other pulls a knife and picks up a convenient brick as a secondary weapon. Jackson tries to intimidate them ‘Now boys it’ll only make things worse!’ but rolls a 4, the GM modifies for both parties being slightly drunk and decides that the thieves continue to advance. The first thief strides up with a raised cudgel, as Jackson reaches for his concealed telescopic mace, and Thief 2 throws his brick. Thief 2 rolls a 5 (-2 for drunkenness and +1 for range he still misses). To see where it goes, two more D6 are rolled: a 5 (it falls short) and a 2 (and to the right). The GM works out that Thief 2 has bounced the brick off the back of Thief 1’s head and that the failure is sufficient to render the drunken fool unconscious. This gives Jackson time to step back, ready his mace and to draw a magic crystal from his pocket, then the other thief makes a frantic attack and rolls a 9. Jackson opts to parry, but chooses to target the thief’s wrist rather than the knife, and rolling a 10 (-1 for inebriation, + 3 for skill) he breaks the miscreants wrist in several places. Dropping his knife the thief attempts to escape and Jackson opts to zap him with his lightning crystal. The GM decides to allow success with no dice rolling, and the thief is sent sprawling unconscious face first onto the hard and rough cobblestones of Lorrimoss. At this moment two watchmen run up, just in time to assist the mugging victim and take the two robbers off their boss’s hands. ‘Thank you boys,’ says Jackson ‘make sure these two get a satisfactory beating when you get them back to the station; I’ll deal with the paperwork in the morning.’ *NOTES: The ‘miss’ with the brick that was calculated above from 2 D6 rolls is worked out as follows: The first die is for direction, with 1 being ‘up or far’ and 4 being ‘down or near’, relative to the axis or direction of the attack. This rule only needs to be applied where the situation warrants it. _______'1'_________ 6'''_______________ '''2 5''' _______________'''3 _______'4'''_________ The second is distance, and is down to the GMs discretion on how far ‘off’ the attack ''could be, with 6 being the furthest. Often this will not make much difference and may result in striking an opponent in a slightly different place or with the haft of the axe rather than its head. EXAMPLE: Just north of Dogford, Sir Digby Snide’s retinue are waylaid by brigands. After a short fight most run, but Roland has cornered their leader and wishes to take him alive. He decides to deliver a hard chopping blow with his falchion onto the bandit’s short-sword as the bandit thrusts, in order to knock it out of his hand. The bandit stabs with an 8 towards Roland’s midriff. Roland rolls a 3! This is modified to a 6, but is still off target. Roland rolls a D6 for direction and gets a 1, and for distance and gets a 2. The GM decides that Roland’s falchion hacks into the brigands forearm, splitting muscle and bone. The brigand collapses in agony and the fight is won. He can now be hanged after a fair trial. Alternatively, if Roland had rolled a 2, 3, 5 or 6 he would have sliced thin air and been stabbed by the brigand. A ‘4’ would have accidently parried the thrust. Notes on Opponents Whether NPCs or creatures, they will be generated and operated in a similar way to the player characters described above; it is possible that they may have special attacks and abilities or unique characteristics or attributes, but ultimately ‘Monsters are People too!’ Spell Casters As you may expect, it is slightly more complex, but is dealt with similarly to combat, although casting a spell is probably more akin to making a pizza than using a crossbow. A more detailed section is included on the various magics later. Levels and Character Progression The character’s level is a guideline for their professional development and should be taken into consideration when the character is performing an activity relating to their job. EXAMPLE: Roland the Short (a level 5 Soldier) is practicing the quarterstaff with Sir Digby Snide (a level 8 Knight) and both are beginners with no skill level. In the event of a tie, Digby would succeed. As a rough rule of thumb, level 5 is basic ‘fresh-from-school’ benchmark, and level 10 is the ‘fully competent professional’. Levels 15-20 would put you in the elite category. As for progression, each time a character successfully completes a quest, they can level-up. Characters get 5 skill points to spend at each level. Additionally, if an individual or a party role-play exceptionally well in a section of an adventure, they can de awarded skill points to allot as agreed with the GM (as a guideline only skills used in that session of to adventure can be developed). Reputation Reputation is an attribute developed during gameplay. PCs normally start with no reputation. This attribute is not decided by the player, but is developed as a result of their action and the results of these actions. Reputations can change and can also vary from place to place. EXAMPLE: Roland the short has a reputation of ‘brave and reliable’; Anthrax the Bad has a reputation of being ‘untrustworthy and unsavoury’. 'Hit Points and Injuries ' There are no HPs. The GM will simply keep a record of your wounds and apply appropriate penalties for wounds and decide when you fall over or die. Loss of limbs will result in movement and action penalties, from -1 on actions due to a bashed leg to major penalisations for head wounds. Healing can be accomplished by magic or medical skill. EXAMPLE:'Roland is fighting a goblin; he gets a vicious jab in the left arm from the goblin’s spear. He has chain-mail sleeves and the GM decides that Roland has just received a nasty bruise and applies a -1 penalty to his shield skill. Tomorrow, however, as the bruise gets stiffer, the penalty is increased to -2. Luckily Roland’s cavalry brigade has an army surgeon who applies some lineament and a massage that eliminates the penalty altogether. More details on healing and health will be included in the campaign background section. 'Magic and Prayer There are two principle fields of ‘magic’, channelled divine magic, that we will call Manna, and wizardry-type stuff that we will call Magic. Magic Magic is the direct manipulation of the universe and its forces to affect a desired result. Magicians, Sorceresses and Wizards develop magical skills and combine them to produce spell effects. These practitioners of the High Form of the Arcane Arts spend years studying and practising to manipulate, summons, transform and enhance objects and elements to shape them to their will. There are also Low Forms of magic where less talented persons can be taught to produce discrete spell effects by rote. Manna This is literally God-given power. Priests and priestesses train and meditate and obey holy laws in order to receive access to power channelled from their chosen deities. Powerful priests can manifest their deities’ abilities, lay-on-hands to heal, exorcise undead and perform inspirational or protective chants and prayers. The faithful Laity can also learn some basic protections and prayers. Magical Skills Within both fields of magic, the practitioner will learn a range of skills just like anyone else. These skills can be used individually or in any combination to produce a spell effect as long as each skill roll is successful. Powerful magic is inherently difficult to manipulate or channel, and spells rarely come out exactly as planned. The GM can choose not to make a player roll dice if the task is trivial or well practiced etc. EXAMPLE: Anthrax the Bad wants to hurl a fireball at a trio of goblins who have waylaid him on his way to the Temple of Yogsothoth jumble sale. He has decides to generate some fire, move it towards his enemies and grow the ball as it travels. To do this he uses his Pyromancy-3 skill to generate the fire, followed by his telekinesis-2 skill to fling it toward the goblins. To increase the size he uses his spell shaping-2 skill, but the GM points out that he will have to combine the spell shaping with spell enhancement to add range, as the ball is moving away. For the first action Anthrax rolls a 8 (+3=11), thus quickly generating a powerful surge of magical fire between his outstretched hands which he flings towards the goblins with a roll of 6 (+2=8) on his telekinesis; so far so good, with a 3’ ball of fire on its way. He then attempts to spell-shape it as it travels, rolling a 6 (+2=8) to ‘range’ his spell enhancement. Anthrax then attempts to shape the ball but rolls a 5 (+2=7); this is not very impressive and the GM decides that it increases by only a quarter. The ball rips through the goblins, singing and burning them. The GM decides that they turn tail and run, leaving Anthrax with a jolly tale to tell his pals when he reaches the Temple. Conversely, if Anthrax had fumbled his telekinesis skill, the fireball would have blown up in his face. In a similar situation it may be possible to use pyromancy, aeromancy and spell shaping to blast a cone of fire away from the caster and on to some targets, in this instance there may be no need for a ranging or enhancement spell provided the wizard had a high pyromancy skill. The GM may insist that spell enhancement skill is used to maintain the wind whilst the fire is being created. Magical Skill List As ever, the list is not exhaustive. Pyromancy The generation of magical fires, sparks and smokes. Aeromancy The manipulation and creation of air and winds Heliomancy The working of light and electricity Stygiomancy The arts of darkness and cold Geomancy Working with the element of earth Aquamancy Waters and currents can be formed with this art. Necromancy The foul craft of dead flesh and lost spirits. Transformations The alteration of physical matter Spell Shaping The manipulation of spell forms Spell Enhancement The magnification or diminishing or extension of spell effects Enchantments The art of embedding magic into matter or adding magical inertia to spells. Divinations The arts of magical inquiry (should be type-specific e.g. Tarot, crystal ball) Telekinesis The hand of the mind Attunement A meditative and psychometric discipline Manna Skills This works exactly like the example above, but with a slightly different slant. Priest’s magic should be influenced by their deity’s abilities or sphere of influence. Priests of fire gods should be able to channel fire for example. It is the nature of the priesthood that they have a supporting role; healing and blessing, purifying and removing curses. They can however curse and produce chants that inspire heroism and strength, or terror in enemies. Priests can be really cool. Manna Spell List Again, feel free to negotiate more skills with your GM. Ceremonies The meat and drink of a priest; marriages, deaths, births etc. Prayers The subtle invocation of godly power Chants Exhortations that project divine power to those who hear the holy voice Blessings Imploring the gods to give aid to an item, venture, or individual. Laying on hands The healing hands of the priesthood. Exorcism The banishing of curses, spirits and the restless dead Augury Asking for divine guidance. Restorations Returning things to their natural and proper state Channelling Projecting your power to others, or acting as a vessel for divine power Rituals Working with places and priests to combine powers One advantage that priests have over wizards is that their spells tend to be related in duration and scope to a task or action, and is powered by the channelled energy of the gods rather than soulless Magic. EXAMPLE: Roland the Short has been volunteered to accompany a band of princes on a holy quest. He decides to have his falchion blessed for the quest. Priestess Arianne Quirke uses her blessings-3 skill to imbue Roland’s falchion with holy spirit. She chants ‘Oh holy light of Lusamir, infuse this weapon and empower it against the scions of darkness! After a few days in the wilderness they are attacked by bandits. The GM rightly decides that bandits are irrelevant to the quest, and in that fight Roland gains no benefit from the blessing. However, when they storm the Temple of Yogsothoth, Roland’s weapon glows with a white light, and the Temple ghouls quail before it. EXAMPLE: In another place and at another time, Earnest the Zealous is with another group of questers who are ambushed by orcs. He cries to the gods to exhort his comrades to fight the fight of their lives and rolls a 9 (+3+11) for his chanting skill. The GM decides that this is a great chant and allows the combatants to choose the higher of the two dice they roll and double it for each skill roll in combat. The Characters Below are example characters as featured in the above text. They have been detailed below to give guidance on what you need to start your own. You can provide much more detail if you like, but the template below should be plenty enough to get you started. Roland the Short. Level 5 Man at Arms Roland is a stocky short and powerful looking young man with a ruddy complexion who walks with a noticeable spring in his step. He is a straightforward and determined young man who has decided to seek a more adventurous life than his farming background would offer. Skills: Swordsman-3 Shield Use-3 Spearman-1 Drill-3 Military Organisation-1 Singing-1 Outdoorsman-1 Animal Husbandry-1 Fishing-1 Horseriding-2 Athletics-2 Reputation: brave and reliable. Gear: Falchion, dagger, medium shield, armour (kettle hat, chainmail coif, ring-mail hauberk, steel breastplate, steel vembraces and greaves with quilted linen under-padding). Roland has a large leather satchel containing his bowl, mug and spoon, his pipe and tobacco, a pocket knife and a tin box for his flint, steel and charcloth. His money is kept in a purse hung around his neck. He also has a small painted holy icon; a gift from his mother upon leaving home. Anthrax, level 8 sorcerer Anthrax is a scrawny scruffy man of medium height and of a twitchy and nervous disposition, who never sits still and dashes hither and thither whenever out about. He has long dark lank hair and a pale complexion. Skills: Necromancy-3 Pyromancy-3 Spell Shaping-2 Spell enhancement-2 Telekinesis-2 Enchantment-2 Attumnement-1 Divination (tarot)-2 Dagger-2 Dodging-2 Sprinting-2 Astrology-2 Medicine-1 Outdoorsman-2 Gear: Anthrax wears a tatty red robe with an old green jumper over the top, he has a long dagger of darkened metal which he stole from his former master which is a Dagger of Embers, this can produce blinding smoke and stinging sparks in combat. He carries some other meagre possessions in an old canvas shoulder bag – a dented tin cup, a pocket-knife, some grubby leather-bound note-books and a small wooden box for his quills and ink. Reputation: untrustworthy and unsavoury. The Game Setting The centre of the game is the fictitious fantasy city of Lorrimoss, in the Kingdom of Tollimar in the world of Pandania. The calendar is organised by the follwing days and months: Days of the Week .......................................................Months of the Year................................................................. Mournday........................................... Moon of Sorrows.................................. Moon of Labour Skyday ...............................................Moon of No Roads ...............................Moon of Plenty Earthday............................................ Moon of Hope .......................................Moon of Rest Waterday ...........................................Moon of Quickening ..............................Moon of Rains Fireday ..............................................Moon of Sowing ....................................Moon of Prayer Darkday .............................................Moon of Fire......................................... Moon of Darkness Lightday .............................................Moon of Dust Hallowsday There are 24 hours in a day and 8 days in a week and exactly 4 weeks to each of the 13 months, giving a year of 416 days. Traditionally, Hollowsday is a day of rest, and Lightday and Earthday are half-days off. Lorrimoss, City of Legends This page gives an overview of the city of Lorrimoss, the various districts and the immediate surroundings. Lorrimoss is the second most important city in the Kingdom Tollimar. The city stands lies in the far south west of Tollimar on the east bank of the great Cho River. It is a major port, being at an ideal location to serve ocean going vessels trading with the Spice Islands and the West-lands, and river boats plying their business down the Cho. It is also the closest city to the lands of the Nadix, and as such has become the centre of luxury fur trade. It is the centre for all military, judicial, and religious administrations in the region, being the seat for the Lord Sherriff Verdant, the Duke of Pengranne, and the Archpriest Metropolitan. Lorrimoss has a population of around 15000 adult humans, as well as hundreds of Dwarves, a slightly smaller quantity of Gnomes and some Ogres and Trolls (all strictly licensed), making it the largest city in the land. It supports a huge range of trade and industry, the most important being fur trade, textiles and leather crafts, followed by timber and fishing. Mining concerns to the south supply important raw materials for a burgeoning manufacturing and chemical industry, which helped to attract the Dwarves and Gnomes to the city. Notable features of the city are its network of well-maintained internal waterways, known locally as ‘streets’, and the series of large rock outcrops that now form the bastions of the perimeter wall and the main structure for the Duke's Citadel. It is a walled city, with impressive modern fortifications, including anti-air-creature towers, and tunnelling detectors. The Metropolitan Temple and Gardens are a must for any tourist, as is the Dwarven Quarter, the Royal Parade and the King’s Square. Visitors are advised to avoid the Eastside and Newgate areas after dark. The cities’ defence is based on a number of full-time military units, supported by ‘volunteer’ militia, and boast a hippogriff air battalion, and a squadron of ground-attack drakes. Districts of Lorrimoss Lorrimoss is divided into 14 civil districts, each with its own character. Generally the areas have their own character and commercial and industrial activities. Some broad details are listed below, but if you are running a game, please feel free to develop areas as you see fit. The following PDF is the city map: Stoneleigh The heart of Lorrimoss and location of the Guildhall, Corn Exchange, Metropolitan Temple and Gardens, Kings Marketplace, Law Courts, Blue Spa, and the headquarters of the regional offices of the Royal Society of Wizards and the Alchemists Guild. Many wealthy merchants live in this quarter and there are many of the town’s best taverns and inns here. Upton This is a largely residential district for the wealthy of Lorrimoss and is the only unfortified elevated part of the town. This hilly district rises above the smoke and stench and affords impressive vistas over city. Upton Leigh This solidly middling district provides housing for many people who serve the wealthy in Upton and most of the cities milliners, embroiderers, lace makers, glovers and tailors are situated here. Southmarch A reasonable sweet smelling district that boasts the city’s biggest farms produce market. There are many warehouses here, and a lot of food processing businesses, like picklers, salters, jam makers and dryers. Upbartle If you are looking for scribes, sages, scriveners, painters or draughtsmen, then Upbartle is the place. It also houses some schools and Lorrimoss’ only public chain library. There are also a number of banks, bookshops and print-rooms here. Old Bartle is a small district within Upbartle that has the oldest pub in Lorrimoss; the Crow and Gibbet. The Hallows This ward reputedly gained the name Hallows because it was built over Lorrimoss’ oldest burial ground. The remains have of course been exhumed and cremated following the Proclamation of the Dead. It is now the mechanics district, and a veritable hive of tinsmiths, bronze-smiths, foundries, blacksmiths, metal spinners, pin and needle workshops, nail makers and more. Fishside This is the centre for the fish-processing trade, as well as coopers and basket-weavers. It is another low-rent district, but at least the generally southerly to easterly winds take the smell toward the Cho Westside Westside is the the site of the cities more properous docks that cater for ocean-going trade. Large warehouses and trade associations are based there; many in the old dockside houses where the merchants used to live. Of course they have now moved to Upton or Stoneleigh, and merely come to Westside to trade and drink in the new coffee shops. Oldtown This higgledy-piggledy tottering arrangement of old buildings provide accommodation for the poorer fisher-folk and boatyard, dockworkers and longshoremen operating to the west of the city, as well as many soldiers and staff who work in the citadel. Lateside A prosperous area of town bounded by King’s Road to the east and Castle road on the south side, it boasts Cavalry Park and Swan Street; a broad canal used for recreation. Newtown Newtown is another middling quarter, with some more prosperous dwellings to the western end. The headquarters of the Masons guild is here, and many builders and associated tradesmen gravitate to this part of Lorrimoss. The western end of Newtown boasts two glassworks. Newgate This district is another low-rent area and also the focus for the meat industry and associated trades, like leatherworking and tanning. It stinks. Luckily the prevailing winds usually carry the smell towrds Eastside or the Walls. The Ponds This area is the focus for textiles, providing accommodation and work for dyers, weavers, flax workers, ropers, net-makers, soap makers and the paper trade. The stinking dyers and soapers are confined to the eastside end of the quarter. The areas name is derived from the many industrial ponds and steeps that support local trade. Dwarf Lane Dwarf Lane lies at the western edge of The Ponds and is now a separate district, as the residents have been awarded self-administrating status. Their first decision was to build a dividing wall (mainly by linking the existing buildings) between themselves and the rest of The Ponds. Eastside Possibly the seediest district in Lorrimoss. Bordered by the Ponds on one side and Newgate on the other it is also the smelliest. Eastside is a centre for woodworking trades and the location of the smaller of the town’s two ports. It is the lowest rent area in the town and houses many poor day-labourers and agricultural workers. It also is the site of the cities two largest breweries (Natspy and Hospice breweries) and some alchemical works. The Eastside Page, more detail on its people and places. The map of Eastside: Communication and Media in Lorrimoss The Press The invention of the printing press by Piers Maxwell nearly 25 years ago began a breakthrough in communication throughout Tollimar, and Lorrimoss is no exception; the city now boasts two newspapers, the Gentlemen's Gazette, a sober sheet devoted mainly to business and courtly news, and the more widely read and down-to-earth Lorrimoss Flyer. The flyer has a direct and no-nonsens style popular with the common folk of the region, and sells for 2 coppers a sheet, but is often sold-on at cheaper rates, or bought by friends and read at the local pub, where debates and discussions ensue. Here are a selction of issues of this popular organ of the press: The Cryers' Office Each town has an appointed cryer, and cities have many. They operate out of official premeses that also have notice boards available for public use at low rates. The cryers announce news and local events, and can also be paid to add private 'shouts' to thier script, which is dictated by the the authorities. The Cryers' Office is under the direction of the local Lord Sherriff. In small towns they usually share a building with the Watch. With the recent invention of the press heralding cheap printing, Cryers now also hand out flyers and post notices around their areas. Pro-forma printed adverts and notices can be purchased from the Offices for private use. Play-houses, Theatres and Performers As well as putting on regular entertainments, players and musicians will often make announcements for pay. They can be abything from business adverts to insults and civic notices. Plays and songs are frequently written for political propaganda, or to promote social or religious issues, or as PR for people or organisations. The Church As mentioned above, the church can be an important political tool if it can be persueded to back an idea and promote it through their congregations. Ranters Those curious folk, who feel so moved by an issue that they will stand in the street and either promote or decry whatever moved them, are known as 'Ranters'. There are also a number of professional Ranters who can be hired to shout about whatever their patron desies. Some are quite entertaining and command reasonable fees. Guilds These powerful national organisations have their own communications networks, and many own their own presses, as well as the usual network of members, who's vested intersest lies in supporting the organaisation that controls their profession. The guilds can bring the nation to a halt if they desire it, and are easily capable of whipping up mobs and protesters at short notice, or of more subtle sustained lobbying.